


And They Let The Light Die

by KimPhang



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Blaming, EVERYTHING GOES WRONG, Patton knows more then he lets on, Roman and Logan do a bad but they figure it out, Self Depreication, attempted suicide I guess but it's not the same, fading, feelings of being usless, pacing, panicing, someone dies but it's fine
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:15:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25186231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KimPhang/pseuds/KimPhang
Summary: It was common knowledge in the mindscape that Virgil was a man on edge; he was fight or flight after all. It was also common knowledge that Virgil was scared of a lot of things. Things like cars, motorcycles, bikes, really anything on wheels, anything with claws, heights, public situations, and anything remotely sharp to name just a few. But the knowledge of Virgil’s biggest fear was anything but common knowledge. With his slightly unsettling and nonchalant appearance and his mocking smirk, no one would have ever guessed that Virgil Anxiety Sanders’ biggest fear was the fear of being utterly alone. I mention this because it is the only explanation for how a seemingly innocent prank did so much more damage than anyone ever could have imagined.
Relationships: LAMP - Relationship
Comments: 16
Kudos: 61





	1. The Prank That Began The War

Thud!

Virgil groaned as he sat up from the floor beside his bed. He rubbed his head as he tried to peel his eyes open to see what time it was. Eventually he was at least partly successful as he noted the first number on the clock was definitely a 4. He groaned again, this time in frustration, and laid back on the floor as his brain attempted to reboot completely after it’s quite rude awakening.  
After a few minutes of internal pep talk, he convinced himself to get off the floor and try and get back to sleep on the bed. He got up sluggishly and unceremoniously flopped back onto the bed. Unfortunately, his brain decided that it really wanted to be awake now and no amount of counting sheep, trying to think of nothing, or gay up begging it could change its mind. So after a while of trying, he finally gave up and decided to just start his day a little early.  
He looked up at the clock for a second time that morning and noted happily that he could see all the numbers this time. 

5:08 AM

“Not as bad as 4 I guess.” He thought as he threw his legs over the side of the bed to try and momentum his way to a standing position as there was definitely no way he was getting up otherwise.  
As he went through his normal daily routine, Virgil started thinking about things he could get done before the others woke up and by the time he got out of the shower, he already had a good list going.

1\. Read the book that he ‘borrowed’ from Logan  
2\. Clean up the living room a bit even though it’s not very messy  
3\. Be a lazy butt and just sit here on his phone till breakfast  
4\. Make breakfast and then do other stuff maybe

He looked at the clock for a third time after he pulled his head through his hoodie.

5:28 AM

"No one will be down till at least 6:30 so I can probably get breakfast done and still have time for reading or cleaning. I’ve been a little harsh on them lately so maybe they deserve a break. Yeah, I think I’ll do that."

With his mind made up, Virgil made his way down stairs to make breakfast and kill time till the others woke up to keep him company. 

A little while later, Virgil was just putting the last pancake on the plate, and setting them and the fruit on the table, when he heard footsteps making their way down the stairs. He pulled out his phone to check the time and then hopped up onto the counter, trying his best to feign total boredom and disinterest. He had a reputation okay?

6:30 AM

Logan, punctual as ever, was the first to arrive. He went straight to the coffee machine without sparing the side on the counter a glance. Virgil didn’t think much of it at the time for a number of very valid reasons: It was early, Logan hadn’t had his coffee, and Virgil wasn’t exactly looking up for a conversation either. So while Logan made coffee, Virgil continued to browse tumblr on his phone until the other two got up.  
Roman was the second to arrive. He practically flew into the kitchen with way too much energy for someone who just woke up, looking like he was going to try his hardest to ruin whatever peace was in the kitchen a moment ago. 

“Gooooooooooooooood Morning!!” 

The other two sides both looked up from what they were doing. Logan signed and Virgil rolled his eyes fondly at the princes antics.

“Greetings Roman.” Logan said while he poured his coffee.

“Mornin Princy.” Virgil said as he dropped his gaze back to his phone.

“OoO! Did you make breakfast Logan?”

“I did not. This was all here before I came in. Perhaps Patton was awake earlier and made it.”

Virgil looked up from his phone and watched the other two suspiciously. Neither one of them had even looked in his general direction since they came in. 

“Actually, I made it. I thought that you gu-”

“Maybe. Where is that ball of fluff anyway?” 

“I’m not sure though my best guess is that he probably went back to his room after he made breakfast.”

“Then I shall go and fetch him!”

Virgil watched the conversation with his eyebrows knitted together in confusion. As Roman sprinted back out of the room, the anxious side slipped off the counter and slowly made his way over to where Logan was drinking his coffee and reading a book that Virgil hadn’t noticed before.

“Logan?” But said side just kept on reading without even bothering to blink.

Virgil waved a hand in front of Logan’s eyes and got the same result. And that’s when it hit him. They couldn’t see him. He stared wide eyed at the other side for a long moment before taking a step back and disappearing back to his room, any thoughts of breakfast forgotten.

On the way to Patton’s room, Roman was having a hard time keeping his smile under control. By the time he got to Pat’s door and knocked, he was smiling and giggling like a crazy person. By the time a bleary eyed Patton opened the door, he was full on laughing. 

“Good morning Roro! What has you all chipper today?”

“P-Pat! You Sh-should h-have seen his face!!” Roman said between laughs.

Patton gave a nervous laugh. “I don’t think I’m going to be able to get a full story out of you in this state, so how about I get dressed and you tell me all about it while I make breakfast.”

“Sounds g-good Pat!!” Then he forced his giggles down a little so he could be understood. “You don’t have to make breakfast though; Virgil took care of it today!”

“Really? Awww that was so sweet of him! I’m gonna have to give that kiddo a big’ol hug!”

“Sure thing Pat. You can do that right after we explain to him the epic prank we just pulled!” After Roman said this he started giggling again and turned to make his way back down stairs without waiting for an answer.  
Patton had to admit: He was a little worried about what the prince’s prank could be, so he hurried to get dressed and made his way downstairs. Before he left his room though, he took a peek at the kitty clock hanging above his bed

6:45 AM

After the axsty side left the kitchen, Logan stopped pretending to read. He stared at the spot his fellow side had disappeared from with a small worried frown on his face.

"Maybe that wasn’t the best idea. Why did I weigh a free jar of crofters over the risk to Virgil’s mental health?"

Just then, Roman came back into the kitchen.

"Ahhh. That is why." He thought as his small worried frown turned into a deeper more annoyed one.

Roman’s face showed nothing more than a small smile. He was an actor after all and he could school his expression into submission no matter how much he felt like laughing. Upon looking around however, he found it to be quite useless to do so as Virgil was no longer there. 

“Patton’s getting dressed. He said he’ll be down in a bit.”

Logan nodded then returned to pretending to read his book so he could have time to think.

“Hey! You gonna tell me what happened with Dark and Stormy?” Roman asked giddily. 

“He left shortly after you did. He still knows nothing as you requested to be the one to reveal the practical joke to him. Although he did look quite upset before he left.”

“Really? It was just a silly joke though. He couldn’t have actually thought… Could he?”

“I would recommend telling him sooner rather than later as to not risk upsetting him further and thus damaging your friendship with him as well as mine.”

“Yeah, I got it specs. I’ll go do that now.”

As Roman made his way out of the kitchen for a second time that day, he couldn’t help but feel something off in the mindscape. Something was very very wrong all of a sudden. He ran. 

It was not fast enough.


	2. The War Itself

Now it was well known in the mindscape that Virgil was dramatic. Maybe not as dramatic as Roman, but dramatic all the same. But when Virgil got back to his room, he couldn’t find it in him for even a little dramatics. 

He could have screamed! He could have thrown something or fallen to his knees in tears! But no. 

He simply stood in the middle of his room with his back to the door sporting a scarcely blank face. His unfocused and unblinking eyes were the only windows through which you could see a mind at war with itself. His thoughts were pushing violently in all directions while shoving his emotions to the side for the moment. 

At first, his mind was trying to convince itself that whatever happened downstairs didn’t happen at all, but he was too clever by far to fall for that lie. Then he thought maybe it was a prank, but no. Logan wouldn’t do that. Maybe Princy, but not Logan. As his mind was spiraling faster, his thoughts went to Patton. He hadn’t been in the kitchen! Is there still a chance that he could see him? 

No. He was just holding onto false hope. There’s no logic in that. What would make Patton different then Logan or Roman. His mind started spiraling from negative to more negative faster than even he could keep up with, but eventually, every piece of his mind came together in agreement presenting the same simple, horrible, most probable conclusion:

The sides didn’t need or want him anymore. Therefore, the mindscape was erasing him. He’d heard of similar things happening to the sides of other people. Sides just vanish if they are no longer required in the mindscape.

He finally let a single tear fall down his face before he turned around, put his hand on the door, and vanished it. He felt a jolt as the tether that kept his room in the mindscape broke and he fell deeper into Thomas’ subconscious. Without the tether, his room would continue to fall until his room and it’s content ceased to exist altogether. It didn’t matter though. He was already gone the moment he wasn’t needed anymore.

With that, he walked to his bed, laid down and finally let his emotions take over. 

When Patton got downstairs, he was met with a severely unsettling sight. Roman, very contrary to his carefree and cheerful nature, was pacing around the kitchen looking anything but cheerful or carefree. Logan was just staring blankly at the floor; his book and coffee forgotten on the counter behind him. At first, no one noticed the arrival of the new side so he decided to make his presence known by clearing his throat. instantly, two pairs of eyes shot up both looking scared to varying degrees. 

“Where’s Vigil?” Patton asked slowly. 

The two sides being questioned turned their eyes back down.

“We aren’t sure Pat. His door’s gone.” Roman said, sounding on the brink of tears.

“His door is gone? But that would mean…. He’s not….” Patton’s eyes widened as realization hit. He turned on his heels and sprinted back the way he came. Sure enough, when he got to the place where Virgil’s door would have been, he found only a wall. Not even a trace of anything looking out of place.

The other two sides made their way up the stairs as well, albeit a little more slowly.

“It’s all my fault Pat. I should never have… And now he’s…” Roman’s words were cut off with a heart breaking sob.

“I don’t care who’s fault it is or how it happened. Right now, we need to save Virgil.”

“That is impossible Patton. Once a side enters the void of the subconscious, they cannot come back. I did research on this very thing and no one has ever known a side to come back from this.” Logan said, breaking the silence he had kept since Patton came down.

“It’s not impossible. I promise it’s not. But I don’t have time now to explain how I know. Are you two ready to help me?”

The other two looked at each other then back to Patton with determination in their eyes.

“We are prepared.”

“Tell us what to do.”

As soon as he heard these words, Patton nodded and took a moment to think before giving orders.

“Okay. Roman. I need you to go into your room and create an infinite rope, secure it to something very very solid in your room, and they feed the other end out here.” Roman nodded and sprinted into his bedroom across from the place where Virgil's door used to be.

“Logan. I need you to help me vanish this wall. Roman would be better at it, but neither of us can make an infinite rope so we’ll have to make do.” Logan nodded and they both put their hands on the wall and focused. After a tense moment, the wall vanished and Logan, who had the forethought to brace himself, had to catch Patton before he fell into the dark void that was now looming threateningly below them. 

“Whew. Thanks Lo.” But before Logan could answer, Roman appeared with the rope. 

“Got it. Now what?”

“Okay. Now the hard part. I need both of you to trust me completely for this to work.” After a second of hesitation, they both nodded.

“Good. Logan I need you to tie this rope around me in a way that will be secure and leave a long end in front of me that I can easily tie around another person. 

“Got it.” After about 20 seconds, a professional looking harness was made around Patton. If the situation were less intense, everyone there would have been very impressed. 

“When I tug three times, you pull me up as fast as you can. If I don’t signal in 10 minutes,” he said pointing to the hall clock. “pull me up anyway and we’ll have to try again. But if you start pulling and you feel two more good tugs, that means I’m okay and I need more time. Got it?”

“Are you sure I can’t do this Pat? I mean it’s my fault and…”

“There isn’t time for this Roman. We’ll talk about this when I get back with Virgil.”

Patton gave each of them a quick hug and made his way over to the edge.

“I love you both and I’ll see you in a bit.” Then he was gone.


	3. Fading

It was impossible to tell how long he’d been falling, but Virgil guessed it had to have been a while. There isn’t really any time in the void per se, mostly because things that are governed by time were not supposed to go into the void of the subconscious, but Virgil could tell by how weak he felt that the void had to have been eating away at him for a while now. It always starts by draining a side's energy, then it shuts down all emotion, and eventually stops your thoughts until nothing's left besides the core function of the side if the host still needs it. After the void takes what it wants, nothing remains of the side.   
Virgil was already beyond exhausted which would have worried him a moment ago, but things were starting to matter less and less so he couldn’t find it in him to care. He was lying in the middle of the floor, unsure of how or when he got into this position, and his limbs were beginning to feel numb. He welcomed it.  
His mind was just starting to go silent when he heard a loud crash from above that probably would have made him flinch if he could move. He didn’t have it in him to care what it was, but at least his mind registered that it happened before the thought floated away as a leaf on the wind. After the crash there were more noises, but his tired mind barely registered them until he heard one that sounded like a voice. He managed to focus his eyes just enough to see a side standing over him looking very panicked. It didn’t matter though; he was far too gone to care.   
So he continued to not care as he was forced into a seated position. He cared even less as a rope was tied around his waist and strong arms lifted his numb body off the ground. He most certainly didn’t care as he was slowly dragged up through the hole in the ceiling and into the blackness of the void. He cared so little in fact, that his body couldn’t even care enough to stay conscious. 

Or continue breathing.

7:08 AM

**Author's Note:**

> I only own the story as the characters belong to Thomas Sanders. I thrive off of criticism so if you have anything to say about this work, either good or bad, feel very free to do so below. Or don't idk u do u c: Either way, thanks for reading!


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